E D U C AT I O N
COORDINATED
TEAM WORK GIVING
CHILDREN A LIFT
Gymnastics at Prince’s Mead offers much more than
sporting competence, discovers Liz Kavanagh
W
hen I went to school, gymnastics lessons were something I dreaded,
and mainly seemed to involve vaulting impossibly high boxes from an
impossibly low springboard.
Had I gone to Prince’s Mead in Kings Worthy I might have had an altogether
different experience, as not only does the independent day school boast a former
UK champion gymnast as its instructor, but its gymnastics squads are bursting at
the seams with eager members.
A former bronze medal British champion, with a sister who represented Great
Britain in the European Championships, Amanda Wright is the sort of gym
teacher that you’d want to be taught by. The gymnastics she teaches is Acrosport,
which combines elements of the conventional sport with dance and tumbling skills.
“That makes it really accessible to children,” she says. “It’s fun, with routines
running to upbeat music, using the skills of team members who work together or
in pairs.
“Acrosport is also attractive to boys, who see the strength needed for lifts,
the somersaults and jumps and flips as something they want to get involved
with too.”
While gymnastics is timetabled for children at Prince’s Mead, it’s also offered
as an after-school club, where there’s a 50-strong development squad. “It
got so popular that we started having trials,” Amanda says. “We’re about to
compete in a gala show at the Guildhall in Southampton and also regularly
perform in assemblies.”
Children who want to train further are then coached as part of the school squad,
which competes regionally and nationally. “We got to the national finals last year
as a team and have also had some fantastic gymnasts get national recognition as
individuals,” Amanda says. “Younger children see that success and really aspire
to it.”
Having a gymnast pro on the teaching staff also benefits Prince’s Mead in
other ways. “We’ve been able to contribute a gymnastic element to school
productions,” Amanda says. “Children who might not have come forward for
acting roles did amazing things in The Lion King and Aladdin, which were
staged at school. At competition level, marks are awarded for expression as
well as physical ability, so the sport encourages creativity too.”
This year a donation from a parent means that the squad now boasts its own
tumble mat, a giant inflatable runner that gives children an extended soft
landing as they practise their moves. “It’s brilliant for confidence,” Amanda
says. “Gymnastics, like all sports, needs to be fun and engaging. It’s not only
great physically but also teaches children how to be fantastic team members
and believe in their own abilities.”
01962 888000 | www.princesmeadschool.org.uk
www.winchestermag.com
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